Oversight bodies making contribution

How much oversight is too much? One thing that has emerged from the shenanigans of the last week or so is that the gardaí and the Department of Justice could do with plenty of oversight.

Some within the force have claimed that the current level of oversight is impeding their ability to do the job at hand. Equally though, it could be argued that recent improvements in oversight are making a positive contribution.

This was evidenced by one vital event of the last week. As the country awaited the starting gun for a general election, Acting Commissioner Donall Ó Cualáin sent what’s known as a Section 41 letter to the Minister for Justice. A Section 41 — of the Criminal Justice Act — might be described as a “Houston, we’ve got a problem”, communication. It obliges the commissioner to inform the minister if something serious appears to be amiss within the force.